I* 

The Red Poll and 
Farm Conditions 



5F 199 
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Publishsd in thm Interest 

Ohio Red Poll Breeder*' Associetion 




The Red Poll and 
Farm Conditions 



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Copyrighted 1917, by 

Frank Nelson 



a a 



HOMER C. PRICE, President 
FRANK HARTLINE. Vice President 
FRANK NELSON, Secjy and Treas. 






MADISON COUNTY DEMOCRAT PRINT 



/ 

' MAR 31 1917 

©a.A458939 



List of Members 



(January, 1917) 

H. C. Price, Newark, O. 

.1. J. & R. C. Kranlz. Dover, O. 

F. Nelson, London, O. 

Henry S. Kelley, Geneva, O. 

Jacob Overly, Bainbridge, O. 

Wm. K. Hirshberger, Lancaster, O. 

H. E. & J. E. Wynkoop, Eldorado, O. 

Frank Hartline, Strasburg. O. 

J. W. Lee. Racine, O. 

Stump & Etzler, Convoy, O. 

H. W. Rinkert, West Liberty, O. 

E. M. Kroft, Mt. Perry, O. 

M. A. Page & Son, Dennison, O. 

G. L. Roush, Springfield, O. 

R. O. Evans, Blanchester, O. 

Lewis Rodgers, Good Hope, O. 

N. R. Peffley, Germantown, O. 

Elmer E. John, Dayton, O. 

Geo. H. Smith, C. C. Cushman. Mgi.. 

Chillicothe, O. 

R. C. Wise, Newark, O. 

E. G .Norton, Seville, O. 

U. G. Bradfield & Son, West Jefferson, O. 

Frank H. Hawley, Le Roy, O. 

A. S. Bolen, Fremont, O. 

R. H. Statler. Shelby, O. 

F. I\L Borst, Bainbridge, O. 



D 



Directors 



Homer C. Price 
Frank Hartline 
Frank Nelson 
J. Wilbur Lee 
Stump & Etzler 
J. J. and R. C. Krantz 



Duai Cows of other Breeders there 
are—as freaks. But dual type by na- 
ture and in execution as a Breed 
there is but One—that one Breed— 
The Red Poll. 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



It is the Law of Average, whatever 
the field of human endeavor, that sus- 
tains. 

This very law, applied to Farm Con- 
ditions of today, imperatively de- 
mands that the Cow producing the 
Milk on the farm must also produce 
the Feeders and IJie Beef. 

It is this same Law of Average 
that, while imperatively demanding 
a dual- nature and type in the Farm- 
ers' Cow, has also at the same time, 
through hundreds of years of appli- 
cation and test, proved the Red Poll 
to be the most truly dual-purpose ani- 
mal. 

Let us now look into this dual, or 
two sided, Milk and Beef nature of 
the Red Poll. If the Red Poll is of 
true dual type and nature it must, 
at all times, not only produce milk 
with the best of the milkers but it 
must, at the same time, produce 
Beef with the best of the Beef Breeds. 
Can the Red Poll do this? It can, 
second to none. 

In Milk Production the Red Poll 
stands fourth in the list in competi- 
tion with the world. Surpassing 
even some of the known strictly Dairy 
Breeds. Beauty No. 31725, one of the 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



Record Cows of the Breed, has an 
official record of 20280 pounds o'^ 
milk and 891.5 pounds of butterfat. 
Her weight is 1750 pounds and but 
for her under line is an ideal, typ- 
ically formed Beef type animal. 

Pear No. 24888, weight 1440, is the 
World's Champion Long Distance 
Red Polled Cow and is the champion 
Long Distance Record Cow, over all 
bi-eeds, in the great Dairy State of 
Minnesota. Minnesota has one herd of 
thirty Red Poll Cows with not a Cow- 
in it whose official record is under 
460 pounds of butter fat. Absorb this 
fact and can you then ask. Is the Red 
Poll a Milker? 

In Milk Production the Red Poll 
surpasses the Jersey, Brown Swiss, 
Shorthorn and all Guernsey records 
excepting that of Murue Cowan. 

Now let us look into the Beef pro- 
duction of the Red Poll and see how 
really and truly is the Red Poll 
nature a dual nature. Here let me 
say regarding the Dual nature. Such 
is not a strange or unnatural attri- 
bute. It is but the embodiment and 
perpetuation of God's perfect laws in 
full response to nature's demands of 
a balance. Mammary development 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



at the expense of constitution and 
vigor, or the ability to lay on fat or 
weight at the expense of mammary 
worth, is not God's work. He did not 
do this. Man did it. Man often 
thinks he can lift himself by his own 
boot straps, but he never succeeds in 
doing so. For this very reason, that 
the Red Poll is a natural, physically 
balanced animal and has so been bred, 
coeval with England's earliest history 
down to the present day, is a guaran- 
tee to the Farmer that it is a Feeder 
and Beef animal. There is none supe- 
rior for the Farmer and cornbelt. 
This statement is fully substantiated 
by the records of the past ten or more 
years of the Slaughter Contest at the 
International of Chicago. Here, as 
individuals, the Red Poll Feeders have 
had to show and compete with the 
Agricultural Colleges. But no year 
has passed that has witnessed the RlmI 
Poll outside the money. 

At Smithfield Club Show of Eng- 
land in 1890 a Red Poll Steer dressed 
73.72^/r. This, according to the Lon- 
don Live Stock Journal, has only once 
been exceeded in England and never 
by a full blood steer of any breed. 

Thus in this same law of averages, 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



cited above, are more than ample 
gTounds to prove the Red Poll as a 
Milker and a Beef Animal par excel- 
lence. A true, dual type by nature 
and in execution. Then why be con- 
tent with any Breed that can not do 
as well ? Or with a breed that can 
only do one-half as much? Be that 
half Milk, or be that half Beef? A 
better cross than the Red Poll I think 
does not exist. 

Seldom is it that the Farmer can, 
or is called upon to specialize. He 
must carry forward, at one and the 
same time, the many diversified fea- 
tures of the farm. Not solely must 
he look to Sheep, to the Hogs, Brood 
mares. Milk, Butter, or the Cattle as 
feeders with which to fill his feed 
lots. He must keep his eye on and 
care intelligently for all. As a single 
unit, must he carry forward his whole 
scheme of farm efforts. Not all his 
Oj^'-gs in one basket, but many eggs 
in all the baskets is the true farmer's 
aim and effort. The immutable law 
of averages compels him to feed, if 
he would be fed. His land, above all, 
must be fed if his Family, his Crops 
and his Bank Account are to be fed. 
Long, long ago has he learned that 



8 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



Manure is King when he is in pur- 
suit of land enrichment. Equally as 
long ago has he learned that a large 
margin of profit is contained in the 
roughage and by products of his 
crops. At that time he also learned 
that Cattle can turn this roughage 
and waste of the farm into profit bet- 
ter, quicker and cheaper than any- 
thing else. Therefore, as the average 
Farmer is by nature restricted to cer- 
tain definite lines and must, perforce, 
diversify efforts as well as crops, let 
us examine the qualifications of the 
Red Poll when subjected to average 
farm conditions. Easy would it be 
to appeal to the facts of the Breeds 
history, long patent to the Red Poll 
student. But it is my intention to 
take you outside the authentic chan- 
nels of the Red Poll history. 

The Red Poll Breeder and Student 
is as desirous of knowing he is keep- 
ing the middle of the bovine road, as 
you are in seeking and finding it. 
Hence any facts bearing on the sub- 
ject and coming from extraneous 
sources, from other than dyed in the 
wool Breeders, are most welcome facts 
indeed. Thus it is with pleasure I ap- 
pend, verbatim, an article from the 



I) 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



pen of Mr. W. J. Kennedy, of the 
Iowa Agricultural College. This ap- 
peared in the Breeders' Gazette of 
Feb. 2, 1914, and was entitled 
KUTTERFAT PRODUCTION UN- 
DER FARM CONDITIONS. 

To The Gazette. — We read a great 
deal about the phenomenal butterfat 
records made by cows of the respect- 
ive dairy breeds. So much publicity 
is given these feats that the begin- 
ner is oftentimes led to believe that 
about all that is necessary to insure 
success in the dairy business is the 
purchase of a few cows of this or 
that breed. It is easy to figure that 
a few cows producing from 600 to 900 
pounds of butterfat each would sup- 
port a fair sized family in compara- 
tive luxury. So much for the theory, 
but what are the actual facts ? 

These wonderful feats are interest- 
ing and useful in that they show the 
possibilities of doing unusual things, 
when the surroundings are all favora- 
ble and high records, not economical 
returns, are the chief consideration. 
With our high-priced land, feed and 
labor the cornbelt farmer will be com- 
pelled to pay more attention to the 
dairy end of the cattle business in the 



10 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



future. Some will make a specialty 
of dairying. For such men a special 
purpose dairy breed should be used. 
It has long since been demonstrated 
that the good special purpose dairy 
cow, when given the proper feed, care 
and management, is one of the most 
economical machines known to man 
for converting roughage and concen- 
trates into food products. Other men, 
and they compose a large constitu- 
ency ,do not care to make a specialty 
of dairy farming. They wish to do 
some milking in connection with beef 
production. Some of these men will 
milk their cows and rear the calves 
on skimmilk and grain. Others will 
milk about one-half of their cows and 
allow the other half to suckle two 
calves each. This practice prevails 
on the highest-priced lands of England 
and Scotland and has proved to be 
very profitable. 

I have been making a rather care- 
ful study of the dairy test association 
work which is being conducted by the 
extension department of Iowa State 
College. The work has grown from 
year to year and has been very help- 
ful to farmers of Iowa. In 1909 two 
associations were organized in Black- 



11 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



hawk county. The two assoications 
contained 46 herds with a total of 
some 688 cows. The work commenced 
on June 11, 1909. A man was placed 
in charge of each association. He did 
the testing- and tabulated the daily 
feed an dmilk records kept by the 
farmers. The results of the first 
year's work show just what is hap- 
pening under average farm condi- 
tions. These men did not know 
whether their cows were profitable or 
not. They wanted to know the truth 
about each cow and were much inter- 
ested in the final outcome. 

Out of the 688 cows in the two as- 
sociations 505 completed the full 
twelve months. They were of the 
following breeding: 7 Shorthorns, 
218 grade Shorthorns, 19 Holsteins, 
56 grade Holsteins, 6 Guernseys, 25 
grade Guernseys, 3 Jerseys, 37 grade 
Jerseys, 16 grade Herefords, 3 grade 
Red Polls, 1 grade Angus, and 114 
of mixed breed. Out of these 505 
cows 32 made 300 pounds or better 
of butterfat. In breeding they were 
a.s follows: 1 Shorthorn, 16 grade 
Shorthorns, 5 grade Jerseys, 4 grade 
Holsteins, 1 Guernsey, 3 grade Guern- 
seys, 1 grade Hereford, and 2 grade 
Red Polls. 

12 



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Shorthorn- Angus 

Grade Shorthorn 

Grade Shorthorn 

Grade Shorthorn 

Grade Shorthorn 

Grade Shorthorn 

Grade Holstein 

Grade Guernsey 

Grade Shorthorn 

Grade Jersey 


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The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 

Here we find, out of a total of over 
600 cows, taking the herds just as 
Ihey would occur in any county, but 
three Red Polls and these three were 
grades. We also find, that of all 
breeds entered more Red Polls made 
good, or 300 pounds of butterfat or 
better, than any other Breed. 

We find that— 

Out of 225 Shorthorns entered but 
17 or 7 1-2% made good. 

Out of 75 Holsteins entered but 4 
or 5 1-3% made good. 

Out of 31 Guernseys entered but 4 
or 12.9% made good. 

Out on 40 Jerseys entered but 5 
or 12 1-2% made good. 

Out of 16 Herefords entered but 1 
or 6 1-4% made good. 

Out of 3 Red Polls entered but 2 
or 66 2-3 made good. 

Out of 1 Angus entered none or 
00% made good. 

Out of 144 Mixed Breed entered 
none or 00% made good. 

But of equal if not greater import- 
ance, are the figures of cost of pro- 
duction per pound of butterfat and 
total profit per animal. Analyzing 
these figures we find the Red Polls 
produced a pound of butterfat for less 



15 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



than half that produced by the Guern- 
sey and more than five cents per pound 
cheaper than the Jersey. We also 
find the Red Polls away ahead in the 
average profit per cow. These are not 
figures of an isolated instance. Red 
Poll History is replete with just such 
achievements. I think the Red Poll 
the most economical producer known, 
either at the pail or on the block. 
Also we find the Red Poll Distanced 
only by one Hereford which beat by 
the narrow margin of 8-100 of a per 
cent. 

We find that the Red Polls led the 
following breeds: 

The Shorthoms by 8% in average 
profit per animal. 

The Jerseys by 26% in average 
profit per animal. 

The Holsteins by 20% in average 
profit per animal. 

The Guernseys by 49% in average 
profit per animal. 

The Mixed Breeds by 32% in aver- 
age profit per animal. 

The Angus by 26% in average 
profit per animal. 

Fell behind one Hereford 18-100 of 
a per cent. 

Perhaps some of my readers may 



16 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



think the writer not impartial in his 
choice and selection of this article 
of Mr. Kennedys; that he is seeking 
to make capital of a favorable oppor- 
tunity. If such is your view you do 
me wrong. I cited above my reasons 
for taking this article. I took it be- 
cause it was extraneous and outside 
the fold. The Student of Red Polls 
knows only too well how replete with 
such victories is the history of the 
Red Polls, on either side the Atlantic. 
Here at home in Ohio, the skeptic 
can find more than food for thought 
even should he go no farther than the 
State University and stop with May- 
Sower No. 2964A12's record. No, I 
truly believe Red Poll Breeders as a 
class are more impartial than are 
other Breeders. Why? Because most 
of us have served our apprenticeship 
at the benches of other Breeds. We 
are young, so to speak. Many, many 
of us left our pets, that had really 
become part and parcel of us, to step 
into Red Poll lines, not when we first 
had sight and notice of the hand 
writing on the wall, but only when 
the interpretation of the writing be- 
came a warning so audible we were 
forced to heed; forced to catch step. 



17 



The Red Poll and Farm Conditions 



While many of us, as Red Poll Breed- 
ers, may be able to "hark back" only 
too few years, think not, gentle reader, 
it is so with our choice of Breed, the 
Red Poll. If you are in doubt or ig- 
norant as to just when Red Poll an- 
cestry begins, read Bede, who died 
about 700 A. D, or turn to your En- 
cyclopedia Britanica there to find the 
Suffolk Duns pronounced as indige- 
nous to the country. But, returning 
to our fig-ures cited above, covering 
cost of production per pound of But- 
terfat and average profit per Animal; 
there is another lesson in these same 
figures. Has it appeared to you? I 
mean the lesson of proportion. Study 
it. 

There is equally as many Farmers 
in other States, than in this section of 
Iowa, that are just as far off the 
track; that have not yet deciphered, 
if they have noticed, the hand writing 
on the wall. How long will it be be- 
fore they do? Are you, my dear 
sir, one of the number? Are you 
seeking e^ilightenment on the Red 
Poll? Do you wish it? Is so, apply 
to the undersigned who will send you 
an X-Ray on the subject entitled, 
"Facts and Figures." 

FRANK NELSON, 

Sec.-Treas. 



18 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



002 826 469 1 



